Shoe horns



y 7, 1963 w. w. SEXTON 3,088,639

SHOE HORNS Filed May 27, 1960 g l2d INVE NTOR S mii/L and @ameron I ATTOR N EYS United States Patent @fihce 3,088,639 Patented May 7, 1963 3,088,639 SHOE HORNS William Wait Sexton, 200 Maxome Ave, Willowdale, Ontario, Canada Filed May 27, 1960, Ser. No. 32,477 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-118) This device relates to shoe horns particularly those of a flexible nature.

The thinner smoother and more flexible the shoe born the more eflicient it becomes. I-t conforms more readily to the shape of the heel and takes less space between the foot and the shoe. There is less wear and tear in fine hosiery, and the shoe horn is easier to withdraw when the foot is in the shoe. With these facts the objects of the invention are, first: to provide in a shoe horn the utmost flexibility, thinness and smoothness without sacrificing strength and serviceability, also to provide handy facilities for holding the shoe horn when in use, and also to provide a simple and efficient means for rolling the thin flexible shoe horn into small compass when not in use, and to keep the shoe horn wrinkle free for most effioient use, and also to provide for holding the shoe horn in convenient, compact and attractive form, and to provide a shoe horn with these advantages at small cost.

I attain these objects by the novel form, construction and the arrangements of the parts shown in the drawings, in which FIGURE I shows the device in its simplest form,

FIGURE 2 shows FIGURE 1 in a rolled up form,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing an alternative embodiment with added reinforcing, perforations, spindle and clips.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a modification of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an alternative embodiment with turning knob and containing case.

FIGURE 6 is :a perspective view showing an elaboration of FIGURE 5 with two turning knobs and a split containing case.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing FIGURE 6 in rolled up form in its case, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the spindle in FIGURE 6 and its shoe horn attachment. F

In the following description similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The numeral 10 refers in all figures to a stripof smooth tough pliable material adapted for use as the shoe horn. Longitudinal reinforcing 11a and 11b is added to thin strips 10a and 10b respectively, where required for extra strength. As a shoe horn of this type is not used to pry a foot into a shoe, a handle of the usual type is not required, therefore in this device a small grip 12 is provided across one end for the fingers. It is very compact and adequate as very little pulling is required to ease the heel into a shoe and pull out the pliable strip. The finger grip 12 is also used as a spindle about which the pliable strip is rolled when not in use to keep it compact and free from wrinkles. Knob 13 is added to spindle 120 for easier turning. Containing band 14, and clip 15, or tubular case 16 retains the shoe horn in rolled up form.

Referring more in detail to the alternative embodiments of the invention; the shoe horn in FIG. 1 is simply made of a thin smooth strip 10 of tough pliable material as polyethylene plastic, coated fabric, flexible webbing and the like.

The length and width of the strip 10 may vary considerably, using short ones for shoes and longer ones for overshoes. The grip 12 is made by tightly rolling the end of the strip 10' and stitching, stapling as at 17 or cementing it. This also makes a spindle 12 on which tc roll the shoe horn strip 10. A holding band 14 to retain it in its rolled up form is made from a smooth rubber band 18 looped through a perforation 19 near the spindle grip 12 and knotted as at 20 to provide the holding band 14.

When rolled up as shown in FIG. 2 the shoe horn is small in circumference. Attractive holding bands such as colored silk covered elastic and the like may be used in place of an ordinary rubber band.

In FIG. 3 a smooth extruded strip of tough pliable plastic is used for the shoe horn 10a. The strip 10a is thin at the edges 2121, and thickened at the centre 11a to give extra flexibility and strength where needed most. The shoe horn strip 10a is attached with wire staples 22 or adhesive to a spindle 12a of wood or plastic which extends outward 2324 past the edges of the strip 10a for turning with the fingers. The strip 10a is perforated at 25 for closer rolling adjacent the spindle 12a. One end of a 'cord 26 is stapled or glued to the end of the spindle 12a and the other is pinched into one of the jaws 27 of a metal clip 15 for holding the shoe horn when rolled up.

In FIG. 4 is a modification of FIG. 3, in which a strong reinforcing strip 11b of smooth pliable plastic fabric or the like, of the desired shape, is attached with suitable pliable adhesive, stitching or heat sealing to the thin smooth pliable strip 10b forming the shoe horn.

Perforations 25b are added to the strips 10b11b for easy rolling near the spindle 12b. The split spindle formed from wood or plastic is rounded 28 where the strips 10b-11b are inserted and staple-d 29 or glued to hold the spindle 12b halves :and strip 10b together.

A cord 30 is also inserted between the halves of 12b at one end to hold an expanding metal or plastic band 14a used to hold the rolled shoe horn. The cord 30 is cemented or pinched into the rolled end of the band 14a at 31. The strip 10a in FIG. 5 is extruded plastic as in FIG. 3, with a series of small perforations 32 across one end. One prong 33 of a forked metal or plastic spindle is threaded through the perforations 32 in the strip 10a to form an attachment, the other prong 34 is used to wind or roll the strip 10a about the spindle 120. The ends of the prongs 33 and 34 are forced into matching holes in a turning knob 13. The knob 13 is formed to extend into a cylindrical metal or plastic carrying case 16 and hold the rolled shoe horn inside by frictionally engaging the inside of the case 16. The case 16 is attached to the spindle 120 with a cord 35 looped through the spindle 12c, passed through a hole 36 in the case and knotted 37.

The shoe horn as shown in FIG. 6 has a resilient, tubular, metal or plastic case 38 slit lengthwise 39 so that the shoe horn may be used without removing the case. The case 38 also serves as a finger grip or handle as the flexible strip 100 passes in and out through the slit 39. When rolled up inside the case, as shown in FIGURE 7, the free end of the strip 10c is left protruding enough for the fingers to grasp for unrolling. If the strip 100 is corn pletely rolled within the tube 38 it may be withdrawn endwise by springing it over a turning knob 130.

The spindle 12d shown in FIG. 6 has turning knobs at each end shaped to fit and turn freely in the tube 38. The knobs 130 are also enlarged and extended beyond the tube ends to hold the spindle 12d assembly in the tube 38.

The unrolled shoe horn as shown in FIGURE 7 may he slid into this slotted case 38 and then rolled up by turning the knobs.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary view of the plastic spindle 12d used in FIG. 6. It is made by extruding a stilf plastic material in the shape shown 12d with a hollow centre 40 and rounded jaws 41-41 for holding a bead or rib 42 formed across one end of the strip 10c by rolling :and glueing or heat sealing.

I am aware that prior to this invention, shoe horns have been made with varying degrees of flexibility but none to my knowledge have approached the present invention in flexibility, compactness and ease of handling obtained with the combined spindle and grip for holding and rolling and the slit tubular containing case which serves as both handle and carrying case.

There is a wide variety of suitable materials, too numerous to mention, therefore I do not Wish to limit my invention to the exact form and combination of parts described herein, as various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A flexible shoe horn comprising a smooth thin strip of tough pliable material having a rib at one end crosswise its longitudinal axis, a hollow spindle slit lengthwise to form two rounded jaws for holding the ribbed end of the strip, knobs forced on each end of the said spindle, the

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 458,126 Goldbeck Aug. i18, 1891 785,822 Mitchem Mar. 28, 1905 1,013,715 Yuste et al. Jan. 2, 1912 1,573,729 Martin Feb. 16, 1926 1,645,605 Lunday Oct. 18, 1927 1,841,266 Jones Jan. 12, 1932 1,867,774 Starr July 19, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 63,297 Austria Feb. 10, 1914 

